We’ll send you our company updates and latest news. Subscribe for free by completing the form below.
*Not in conjunction with any other offers
There are many benefits of studying abroad and it offers students many unique advantages. Participating in a study abroad program exposes you to a new culture as you have the opportunity to travel around the world. Examples include our very own Oxford summer school program for high school students. So, what are the advantages of studying abroad? Living in another country will:
Some of the benefits to study abroad include developing new skills and traits such as:
When looking at study abroad programs, consider all the educational and location options so you can make the best choice for yourself.
So, what are the reasons for studying abroad? With an increasing number of students deciding to spend at least part, if not all, of their university degree in a foreign country, you might be wondering whether this is the right step for your own studies.
To help you out, we’ve put together a list of reasons why you might want to step outside of your comfort zone and study abroad and the real benefits which this can have for your social life, life-changing happiness, and even your future career.
Geography lessons are great and everything but you will learn so much more about the world by going abroad. Why? Through actually living in a different culture and talking to people. It can be easy to be caught up in your own bubble and not see the world.
Living abroad will broaden your horizons, and will automatically ensure that you meet people from a different culture than your own, making you a more worldly, sympathetic and interesting person to be around when you return home.
This one is obvious: if you’re abroad already, those countries which used to feel out of reach will suddenly feel so much nearer, just because you’ve already taken the first step of moving outside of your home country. I guarantee that you’ll find yourself taking some incredible trips around your new country, or elsewhere, that you would never have done from home. And international experience can really help when applying to careers as it gives you an understanding of how other cultures work and act professionally.
Of course, as a native English speaker, if you move to Amsterdam, New York or Toronto, this might not be so applicable. But consider studying abroad if you want to double down on your grasp of a foreign language.
If you’re immersed in a particular language, you won’t be able to help improve your proficiency at it. Something that will put you in an excellent position for an international career in the future.
Learning a new language can, of course, be taught in a classroom, but there’s nothing like practising with a native speaker to really improve your abilities.
Putting your study abroad experience on your CV is highly attractive to both future employers and graduate school admissions, and tutors, as it shows that you are willing to take on challenging opportunities and are independent-minded.
It shows them too that you are open-minded and care about what is going on in the world outside of your own country.
Plus, while you are abroad, you never know what opportunities – travel for work or graduate school – might open up for you: there will be opportunities out there that you never even imagined. Why not go and find out?
Here’s another benefit of studying abroad. There is no better way of understanding a different culture than actually living there.
Travelling abroad can certainly teach you this – especially if you take time to visit museums and heritage sites – but you will experience the culture of a place in far greater depth if you actually live there.
Plus, with a new culture comes delicious new food to taste and this can certainly be a major bonus of living abroad. It would be rude not to try all the food you can, right?
There is nothing like a bit of distance from your own culture to teach you something about it which you will, doubtless, take for granted at the moment.
Talking to people from outside your country about what they think of your home can also teach you a lot, and highlight aspects of it which you are blind to at the moment.
Whether these are positive things or negative things, you will return to your home with a new, and more balanced perspective than you left with.
I’m not going to pretend that moving abroad to study doesn’t come with challenges – it does.
Moving far from home to a new country where you don’t know anyone, where you are not fluent in the language and even studying at a university which could well have a very different teaching style than you are used to is bound to present you with challenges, but that is really the point.
Overcoming these day-to-day challenges will make you into a stronger, more independent individual and give you an immense sense of personal achievement at the end of it. If you’ve managed to study and live abroad independently, what else might you be capable of?
So, you want to study overseas? Moving abroad for studying will also open up avenues for making so many interesting friends that you’d never meet at home.
Even if you move abroad to study alone, you won’t leave alone, and in some ways, it is better to go alone, as this allows you to have a completely clean slate for making new friends with other students studying abroad.
Whereas if you move with another person from home, you might be tempted to stay within your comfort zone and only socialise together.
Whether you make friends with other international students – and enjoy working through the fun challenges of living abroad together – or residents of your new country, I guarantee you will meet some incredible people from different countries during your studies and open up yet more avenues for travel in the future.
On a similar advantage, when you move abroad, no one will have preconceptions about what kind of person you are, and that can be a truly liberating experience.
If you’ve always wanted to skydive, start a band, take up bareback horse racing, or whatever else it may be, now is your chance.
Become the version of yourself you have always wanted to be. Something that is bound to increase your happiness and self-confidence in the process.
Read our guide on the benefits of challenging yourself to understand why you should challenge yourself as a student.
Finally, there is a chance that you will fall so in love with the new home that you’ll want to spend more time there in the future, and maybe even settle down there. You never know until you try it.
Bearing all of the above in mind, I hope you can see that studying abroad can bring huge advantages to your social life, career and general happiness. So, what are you waiting for? Draft your application now!
While we covered the 10 benefits, studying in another country does have disadvantages too. These include:
Yes, it is possible to study abroad during graduate school. Many graduate programs offer international education opportunities or have partnerships with universities abroad that allow students to study abroad as part of their degree program.
Studying in London as an international student will lead to a unique and exciting experience. London has a diverse culture and rich history, and there’s plenty to do around the city from amazing parks to buzzing nightlife. Of course, academically London is also home to many world-renowned universities such as UCL and Imperial and offers a wide range of courses.
If you’re looking to try out London before applying to university, then attend a london summer school to get a flavour of the city and what it has to offer.
The cost of studying abroad varies greatly on the country and institution you choose. For instance, if you choose the UK, international students may pay anywhere from £10,000 to £38,000 per year for tuition, depending on the course and university. Living expenses, such as housing, transportation, and food, can add an additional £10,000 to £20,000 per year.
In the USA, the cost is normally higher, with tuition and fees ranging from $20,000 to $50,000 per year for undergraduate programs and $30,000 to $100,000 per year for graduate programs. Living expenses can add another $12,000 to $20,000 per year.
We did the research so you don’t have to and we singled out 3 countries where you can study abroad for free. These are:
It’s important to note that these opportunities are usually limited and based on certain criteria such as your academic achievements, what you want to study and if you’re fluent in their language. Make sure to check with your careers counsellor or email the relevant institutions for more information.
We hope you found the above reasons to study abroad, just and motivating.
If you are an international student looking to study abroad, Cambridge should be on the top of your list. Experience what studying at Cambridge is like by signing up for one of our award-winning summer school programs where expert tutors from world-leading universities teach subjects like computer science, law, medicine, and much more.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen a huge influx of inquiries for our remote learning summer schools so make sure to check out the benefits of remote learning.
We’ll send you our company updates and latest news. Subscribe for free by completing the form below.
*Not in conjunction with any other offers